Portable glue applicator for collating machine

ABSTRACT

A housing containing one or more magnets provides a cantilever support for a pair of spaced and parallel rods which extend outwardly over one or more web sets moving therebelow over a table section of a collator. The leading rod supports a wheel frictionally driven by the upper web and also a spotting disk linked to the wheel and having a plurality of spaced, arcuate applicator surfaces circumferentially aligned with the periphery of the wheel. A glue dispensing nozzle is mounted on the trailing rod and is rotatable between a raised position with the nozzle applying glue to the arcuate surfaces of the spotting disk which in turn apply the glue to the web in spot form, and a lowered position with the nozzle positioned for applying glue directly onto the moving web in strip form. The leading rod is adjustable in height to accommodate varying widths of webs or webs sets passing over the table. A manifold supplies glue to a plurality of outlets along the table, and the applicator includes a quickdisconnect fitting so that it may be moved to any position along the table and quickly connected to any one of the outlets.

Waited. States Patent 1 Schriber 1 PORTABLE GLUE APPLICATOR FORCOLLATING MACHINE ['75] Inventor: Louis Schriber, Dayton, Ohio [5 6]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Hoag .l 18/221 Kardon 1 18/221Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon Att0rney-Lawrence B. Biebel et al.

1451 Apr. 17, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT A housing containing one or moremagnets provides a cantilever support for a pair of spaced and parallelrods which extend outwardly over one or more web sets moving therebelowover a table section of a collator. The leading rod supports a wheelfrictionally driven by the upper web and also a spotting disk linked tothe wheel and having a plurality of spaced, arcuate applicator surfacescircumferentially aligned with the periphery of the wheel. A gluedispensing nozzle is mounted on the trailing rod and is rotatablebetween a raised position with the nozzle applying glue to the arcuatesurfaces of the spotting disk which in turn apply the glue to the web inspot form, and a lowered position with the nozzle positioned forapplying glue directly onto the moving web in strip form. The leadingrod is adjustable in height to accommodate varying widths of webs orwebs sets passing over the table. A manifold supplies glue to aplurality of outlets along the table, and the applicator includes aquickdisconnect fitting so that it may be moved to any position alongthe table and quickly connected to any one of the outlets.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAFR 1 71973 sum 1 {1F 2 FIG -1 INVE N TOR LOUIS SCHRIBER W 53 A TTOPNE rs PATENTEUAPR 1 W5 3; 727, 57s

SiIEEI 2 [IF 2 PORTABLE GLUE APPLICATOR FOR COLLATING MACHINE BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION present invention, webs are directed from paper supply0 rolls mounted on horizontally spaces spindles and are collected inoverlapping relation along a horizontal path on a platform or table. Thewebs are generally conveyed on the upper surface of the table by anendless pin conveyor, such as disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,859,035, whichdelivers the collected webs to a pair of cross perforation rolls andthen to a zig-zag folding machine or the like.

The carbon web may be glued or otherwise affixed between pairs of paperwebs. Generally this has been done with mechanism which is a permanentpart of the collator, with individual gluers built into the web supplyparts of the machine, at fairly widely spaced locations. Such gluingapparatus, for example, as disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 2,334,485 and3,303,083. These units are supplied independently, and cannot be easilyremoved from the machine when they are not needed, as when only specificweb sets are being attached.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to animproved portable glue applicator for collating machines which ispositionable on a collating table at any position along the path of theweb. The apparatus further provides for applying glue to a web in eitherspot form or in continuous strip form.

In accordance with the invention, the improved glue applicator includesa small portable housing containing one or more magnets which maintainthe applicator in a desired position along the path of the web. Thehousing supports a pair of spaced and parallel rods extended tionally,the nozzle is adjustable for cooperation with the height of the spottingdisc or the height of the web or web sets.

Another feature of the invention, which provides additional flexibility,is a glue supply manifold conveniently mounted along the path of the weband including a plurality of outlets fitted within the table itself ordisposed adjacent the table. A flexible conduit connected to the gluedispensing apparatus includes a quick-disconnect fitting which is easilyattached to any one of the outlets. The quick-disconnect fitting enablesthe glue applicators to be removed quickly from the machine or to bemoved to any position along the table where the webs are assembling.

It is accordingly a primary object to the present invention to provide aportable glue applicator for a colover the assembly table of thecollator, above the moving webs, and adapted to support apparatus fordispensing glue onto the webs therebelow. One supports a wheel having atire or driving surface adapted to be driven frictionally by the movingweb. A spotting disc is linked to the wheel for rotation therewith, andincludes a plurality of arcuate surfaces adapted to engage the webintermittently and, when the arcuate surfaces are supplied with glue, toapply the glue to the web in a succlusion of spots.

The second or trailing rod includes a rotatably adjustable gluedispenser adapted to receive glue from a source and to dispense itthrough a nozzle. The dispenser is movable between a raised position adjacent the spotting disc for dispensing glue onto the arcuate surfacesthereof and a lowered generally vertical position for dispensing theglue directly onto the web in strip form. The wheel, disc, and dispenserare all adjustable lengthwise of the rods.

In the preferred embodiment the leading rod is mounted in an eccentricwithin the housing, and the eccentric is rotated by a control arm toadjust the vertical height of the rod and also the pressure of the wheelon the web or web sets. An adjusting mechanism on the housing provides areference to return the control arm to the desired position for aparticular run. Addilator, having the improved flexibility of beingpositionable at any position along the path of the web; to provide aglue applicator which supports a glue dispenser over the path of the webin cantilever fashion and is capable of applying the glue to the web inspot form or in strip form; to provide such a glue applicator which isadjustable to accommodate varying thicknesses of webs or web sets.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description, the attached drawing and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic sideelevational view of a collating apparatus using a glue applicatorconstructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a glue applicator of theinvention, and showing a glue manifold disposed along the length of thecollator table for supplying glue to a number of outlets;

FIG. 3 is a top view ofa glue applicator with the rod and the tablebroken to shorten the drawing;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3',

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The collating apparatus shown inFIG. 1 includes an elongated base 10 from which extends a vertical frameor wall 12. A series of horizontally arranged parallel spindles 14 aresupported by the frame wall 12 for free rotation and receivecorresponding rolls 15 of paper webs P which may have longitudinallyspaced marginal perforations or feed holes 16(FIG. 2). In a conventionalmanner, each roll 15 is located or unwound by a surface engaging belt 18supported. by a pivoted frame and connected to a drive. Each belt 18 isdriven so that the web is fed positively into the machine.

Each paper web P is directed from its roll 15 around a tension controlrod 20 supported by a counterbalanced 21 arm having a pivot axis 22. Apneumatic brake 25 is mounted on the wall 12 under each of the spindles14 and has an actuator rod 26 which is pivotally connected to the arm21. When the tension in one of the paper webs P begins to drop below apredetermined value, the corresponding rod 20 moves downwardly andcauses the brake to slow the corresponding spindle 14 so that the drivebelt 18 slips on the surface of the roll. Each web P is therefore fed ata constant feed rate from its corresponding roll according to the demandfrom the machine.

A series of freely rotatably spindles 28 are supported by the wall 12above the spindles 14, and support rolls 30 of carbon webs C which arenarrower in width that the paper webs P such that the edges of thecarbon webs will be spaced inwardly of the feed rolls within the paperwebs. Each of the rolls 30 is driven in a manner similar to the rolls15. I

Each of the paper webs P is directed upwardly from its control rod 20around a driven roller 32 and then to a roller 33. Each carbon web C isdirected upwardly from its tension rod 20 around a corresponding drivenroller 34, and then between snubbing rods 35 to join a correspondingpaper web P under the adjacent roller 33.

The sets of attached paper and carbon webs P and C are directedgenerally horizontally from the rollers 33 by a series of cantileversupported guide rods to a corresponding series of short and inclinedendless conveyors 42. The conveyors 42 are mounted on parallel spacedshafts 43 cantilever supported by the walls 12 and driven at a commonspeed by a gear belt or chain drive connected to the main drive 19.

A series of endless pin conveyors 45 are positioned in alignment belowthe endless conveyors 42, and each conveyor 45 is directed around enddrive sprockets 46 and an adjustable idler sprocket 47. The upper runsof the conveyors 45 extending between the sprockets 46 lie in generallythe same horizontal plane as the upper surface 48 of the collatingplatform or table 50. Each of the conveyors 45 has longitudinally spacedpins 51 which project above the upper surface 48 of the platform 50.

Each assembled set of paper and carbon webs P and C is delivered ontothe upper surface 48 of the table 50 by the endless conveyors 42 (FIG.2) in such a manner that the web sets glide smoothly onto each other onthe table 50 in overlapping relation. The pins 51 on the conveyors 45engage the perforations 16 and move the webs along the upper surface 48to glue applicators 52 where the web sets are glued together, between abackup roller 56 and an impact roller 55,- and then to a set of crossperforation cylinders 58 to a zigzag folding machine (not shown).

In accordance with the invention, each glue applicator 52 (FIG. 2)includes a housing 60 including a pair of generally cylindrical barmagnets 62 bolted thereon, which retain the applicator on the tablesurface 48 in any preselected position along the path of the web sets.The housing 60 includes a depending portion 64 between the bar magnets62 from which a leading rod 66 is cantilever supported and extendsoutwardly perpendicular to the housing 60 and over the webs therebelow.The rod 66 is mounted within an eccentric 68 rotatably mounted withinthe housing portion 64, and within an enlarged collar- 70 on the side ofthe housing portion 64. A pin 71 secures'the collar 70 to the rod 66.

A wheel 75 (FIG. 3) having a circumferential frictional driving surface76 comprised of rubber material or the like is rotatably mounted on theleading rod 66 in a position for engaging and being frictionally drivenby the moving web below. A spotting disk 78 having at least one andpreferably four peripherally spaced arcuate glue applying surfaces 80aligned with the outer surface of the frictional surface 76 of the wheelis linked to the wheel by an internal bearing 81 and and rotates withthe wheel 75 so that, when glue is applied to the surfaces 80, it willbe applied or transferred to the moving web in spot form. The wheel anddisk assembly is slidably adjustable along the length of the leading rod66 by a pair of adjustable locking members 82.

A trailing rod 85 is supported at one end by the housing 60 rearwardlyof and above the leading rod 66 and carries a glue dispenser 86rotatably adapted to supply glue to the arcuate surfaces 80 of the disk78 for spot gluing, or to apply glue directly onto the web P for stripgluing. Referring to FIGS. 4-5, the dispenser 86 includes a U-shapedsupport member 87 rotatably mounted on the rod 85 and having a pair ofspacedapart arms 88. The member 87 is adjustably secured to the rod 85by the locking pin 89. A generally L-shaped body 90 has a transverse leg92 which extends between the arms 88 and is secured between the arms byan adjustment screw 95 threadably received through the arms 88 of thesupport member. The body 90 also includes a longitudinal leg 94 at rightangles to leg 92 and having an internal passage (not shown) fordispensing glue, as follows.

The glue dispenser 86 is supplied with glue by a conduit having afitting 102 at one end attached to leg 94. The glue travels through theleg 94 and is dispensed from a nozzle 105 formed like a runner to avoidtearing the web. In the preferred embodiment, the conduit 100 includes aquick-disconnect fitting 106 at its other end (FIG. 4) adapted to beconnected to any one of a series of supply outlets 110 on or adjacentthe table 50 and supplied by a glue manifold 112. This enables one ormore glue applicators 52 to be positioned quickly in a plurality ofpositions along the table and to be supplied from a single source. Theconduit 100 is preferably attached to the housing 60 by a retainer 1 15or the like.

The glue, applicator 52 operates as follows. The wheel and disk assemblyis located at the desired position along the rod 66 for applying glue tothe marginal edge of the moving web P, generally slightly inwardly fromthe marginal perforations 16 (FIG. 2), and the locking members 82 aretightened to retain the assembly in the desired position. Before glue issupplied to the glue dispenser 86, the pressure of the wheel 75 on theweb below is adjusted by a control arm attached to the collar 70.Referring to FIGS. 4-5, it can be seen that the control arm 120 whenrotated, moves the leading rod 66 vertically, according to the eccentric68 within the housing portion 64. Movement of the rod to the left (FIG.4) raises the rod, and movement to the right lowers it toward tablesurface 48.

Thus, movement of the control rod 120 will position the wheel 75 at anoptimum frictional engagement position in which the control disk 78 willapply glue to the upper surface of the moving web. Each glue applicatorcan thus be adjusted for the thickness of the underlying web or websets. An adjustable stop on the side of the housing retains the rod 120to maintain the position of the leading rod 66 throughout the operation.

Next, the glue dispenser 86 is moved along thetrailing rod 85 to aposition where the nozzle 105 is aligned with the arcuate glue applyingsurfaces 80 of the spotting disk 78 (see FIG. 3). If spot gluing isdesired, the nozzle 1G5 is fixed adjacent the disk 78 by tighteningmember 89 against the rod 85, and by adjusting the adjustment screw 95.The conduit 100 is then connected to the manifold 112 by thequick-disconnect fitting 106, and the apparatus is ready for spotgluing. If strip gluing is desired, the member 89 is loosened, and thedispenser 86 is rotated to a position in which the nozzle 105 isadjacent the moving web P. When the dispenser is fixed in position, thenozzle 105 is adjusted by the adjustment screw 95. The spot wheel 78 isremoved in this case as it would track the strip of glue.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawing, it is apparentthat a glue applicator constructed in accordance with the presentinvention provides certain desirable features and advantages. Forexample, one or more of the applicators may be positionable at any pointon the table along the path of the webs, and may be quickly connected toa common glue manifold, which saves considerably time in setting up theapparatus for a run. In addition, it provides for spot gluing, when thedispenser is located, with its nozzle adjacent the spotting disk andthus provides a simple means for providing the flexibility needed forthis type of operation.

Moreover, by providing a housing and bar magnet of substantial masscapable of supporting a pair of rods in cantilever fashion over themoving web therebelow, and by providing a simple means of adjusting theheight of the leading rod, the apparatus elminates the need for a secondsupport means on the other side of the web and enables the operator toadjust the gluing mechanism from only one side of the collating machine,thereby minimizing the number of preliminary adjustments required. Inaddition, as is readily evident from FIG. 2, the rods 66 and 85 arecapable of supporting two wheel and spotting disk assemblies and twoglue dispensers, respectively, so that both margins of any paper web mayhave glue applied.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferredembodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to these forms of apparatus, and that changes madetherein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In collating apparatus for assembling a plurality of paper websmoving on a path over a table, an improved glue applicator for applyingglue to the upper surface of one of said moving webs,

a housing positionable on said table along the path of said webs,

support means on said housing extending over said webs,

a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said support means and having afriction surface positionable on the overlying web moving on said table,

spotting means on said support means for spotting glue on said movingweb, and

glue dispensing means on said support means movable between a firstposition for dispensing glue onto said spotting means and a secondposition for dispensing glue onto said web. 2. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said housing in cludes at least one magnet for retaining saidhousing on said table in a preselected position.

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support means comprisesspaced-apart leading and trailing rods cantilevered from said housingacross the path of said webs, wherein said wheel and spotting means arerotatably mounted on said leading rod and said glue dispensing means ismounted on said trailing rod.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for adjusting the verticalheight of said wheel to control the pressure of said wheel on saidoverlying web.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said adjusting means comprises aneccentric within said housing and associated with said support means,means for rotating said eccentric, and means for maintaining saideccentric at a selected rotated position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said spotting means comprises a dischaving at least one arcuate sur face, and wherein said arcuate surfaceis aligned with said frictional driving surface of said wheel forapplying glue to said overlying web with each revolution of said wheel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said glue dispensing means includesa body on said support means and having an inlet and an outlet, gluesupply means connected to said inlet, and a nozzle connected to saidoutlet for dispensing glue onto said spotting means and onto said web.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 including means on said body for adjustingthe position of said nozzle relative to the position of said spottingwheel and said web.

9. In collating apparatus for assembling a plurality of paper websmoving together along a path over a table, an improved glue applicatorfor applying glue to the upper surface of one of said moving webs,

a housing positionable on said table and movable to a number ofdifferent positions along the path of said webs where different ones ofsaid webs come together,

support arm means on said housing extending in cantilever fashion oversaid webs,

a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said support arm means and having afriction surface positionable on the underlying web moving on saidtable,

spotting means on said support arm means and driven by said drive wheelfor spotting glue on said moving web,

said drive wheel and said spotting; means being movable to a pluralityof positions along said support arm means, and

glue dispensing means also on said support arm means and movabletherealong for dispensing glue onto said spotting means for transfer tothe web.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said support means comprisesspaced-apart rods extending outward from said housing across the path ofsaid webs, said drive wheel and said spotting means being rotatablymounted on one of said rods and said glue dispensing means being mountedon the other of said rods.

1. In collating apparatus for assembling a plurality of paper websmoving on a path over a table, an improved glue applicator for applyingglue to the upper surface of one of said moving webs, a housingpositionable on said table along the path of said webs, support means onsaid housing extending over said webs, a drive wheel rotatably mountedon said support means and having a friction surface positionable on theoverlying web moving on said table, spotting means on said support meansfor spotting glue on said moving web, and glue dispensing means on saidsupport means movable between a first position for dispensing glue ontosaid spotting means and a second position for dispensing glue onto saidweb.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said housing includes at leastone magnet for retaining said housing on said table in a preselectedposition.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support meanscomprises spaced-apart leading and trailing rods cantilevered from saidhousing across the path of said webs, wherein said wheel and spottingmeans are rotatably mounted on said leading rod and said glue dispensingmeans is mounted on said trailing rod.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1including means for adjusting the vertical height of said wheel tocontrol the pressure of said wheel on said overlying web.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4 wherein said adjusting means comprises an eccentricwithin said housing and associated with said support means, means forrotating said eccentric, and means for maintaining said eccentric at aselected rotated position.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidspotting means comprises a disc having at least one arcuate surface, andwherein said arcuate surface is aligned with said frictional drivingsurface of said wheel for applying glue to said overlying web with eachrevolution of said wheel.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gluedispensing means includes a body on said support means and having aninlet and an outlet, glue supply means connected to said inlet, and anozzle connected to said outlet for dispensing glue onto said spottingmeans and onto said web.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 including means onsaid body for adjusting the position of said nozzle relative to theposition of said spotting wheel and said web.
 9. In collating apparatusfor assembling a plurality of paper webs moving together along a pathover a table, an improved glue applicator for applying glue to the uppersurface of one of said moving webs, a housing positionable on said tableand movable to a number of different positions along the path of saidwebs where different ones of said webs come together, support arm meanson said housing extending in cantilever fashion over said webs, a drivewheel rotatably mounted on said support arm means and having a frictionsurface positionable on the underlying web moving on said table,spottinG means on said support arm means and driven by said drive wheelfor spotting glue on said moving web, said drive wheel and said spottingmeans being movable to a plurality of positions along said support armmeans, and glue dispensing means also on said support arm means andmovable therealong for dispensing glue onto said spotting means fortransfer to the web.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said supportmeans comprises spaced-apart rods extending outward from said housingacross the path of said webs, said drive wheel and said spotting meansbeing rotatably mounted on one of said rods and said glue dispensingmeans being mounted on the other of said rods.